Underneath the Parasite
by rubydesires
Summary: It's Christmas time! But with Lydia's family having mixed opinions about Beetlejuice, how's it gonna be merry? I guess this would be a little sequel to Second Chance. COMPLETE!


**AN:** I'm back! So here is that Christmas story I promised you. Well, I know not all of you celebrate Christmas, but that's what I do, so that's what I wrote. But if you leave a review, tell me what you do celebrate, and I will give you the proper, erm, well-whishing-ness. Ummm, this is from Lydia's POV. I couldn't get the story across the way I wanted to having it from B's POV. Besides, he just would not quit complaining! Heh, hope you enjoy!

* * *

It had been two months since I got Beetlejuice back, and the only one to . . . somewhat accept him was my father. I think Adam was kind of in the middle. Delia, and Barbara, though? They still hated him. It looked like Christmas this year was going to be rather tense if we couldn't figure things out.

While Beetlejuice was away "takin' care of somethin'", I decided I'd ask my family about their opinions. Since my father confused me the most, I might as well start there.

The door to his study was open, so I poked my head around the frame. He was reading some magazine, probably about birds.

"Um, Dad? Can I talk to you?"

HE looked up at me and smiled. "Sure, Pumpkin."

I walked in and stood in front of his desk. "It's about Beej. Why are you the only one to . . . accept him?"

My father set down his magazine (yep, it was about birds) and leaned back in his chair. "Well, do you think he's the first guy to fall for a girl whose family doesn't approve of him?"

Since he paused, I guess this wasn't a rhetorical question.

"Um, no?"

"There you go."

"But you still didn't answer my question. Why do _you_ approve?"

"Because, Pumpkin, your mother's family didn't approve of me. That better?"

"Yes, thank you." I smiled brightly and gave him a quick hug before I left to question someone else.

I could either go up to the attic, or down to the living room where Delia was painting. I was closer to the attic, but I kind of wanted to get it over with in regards to Delia.

Making my way down the stairs, I tried to determine the best way to approach this. I had to be diplomatic about it, of course. But exactly how was I to do that?

I walked up to, and stole a glance at her garish painting.

"Delia?"

"Yes, Lydia?"

"Why do you hate Beej?" Or I could be blunt about it.

She stopped mid brushstroke, and turned her head to look at me. I had to suppress a smile when I saw a smudge of light blue paint on her cheek. This was serious, so I couldn't be smiling.

"He tried to force my daughter into marriage."

"He didn't force me! I--" I stopped yelling, and blinked a few times. I had wanted to marry him. I just now realized, at that time, I loved him. I had loved him before I even knew we had something. I had always loved him. That's why no other boy interested me. I had always been in love with Beetlejuice.

Delia had ben staring at me while I had my epiphany.

"Um," I said awkwardly. "Well, I love him, and there's nothing that's going to be changing that anytime soon." I turned on my heel, and made my way to the attic.

I knocked on the door, and a moment later, Barbara opened it.

"Can I talk to you and Adam?"

"Of course," she said with a smile, motioning me in.

I sat on the couch and the two ghosts sat on either side of me. Being blunt worked the last two times, so I might as well do it again.

"Why do you not like Beej?" I kept my gaze on my hands in my lap.

Neither of them answered right away.

Finally, Adam said, "We don't not like him."

"But you don't like him."

"We never said that," Barbara added, putting her arm around my shoulders.

"Barbara, you fed him to a sandworm."

"Okay, that was an accident. I didn't know it was going to eat him!" She paused. "We don't know if we can trust him.

"Lydia, he saved us from an exorcism, and we . . . appreciate that. But he _is_ a con artist."

I glanced over at Adam. He had a point.

"Sweetie," Barbara said, using her free hand to turn my face to look at her. "BJ's like a domesticated tiger. He'll do what you ask, but he's still a wild animal, and you can't let your guard down. So, in answer to your question, it has nothing to do with whether we like him or not, but can we trust him with you."

"I trust him."

"And since we trust you, I won't try to feed him to any sandworms."

I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

A few hours later, the five of us were in the living room when we heard a thunk from my room. It was quickly followed by a smack, Beetlejuice's "Ow!", and a woman's voice of "See? I told you ya'd drop it!"

We exchanged confused glances, and we heard two pairs of boots click-clacking against the hardwood floor. Then we looked towards the stairs.

It took me a bit to recognize the woman holding a box, and floating down the stairs. BJ was walking behind her, hands shoved in his pants pockets, and he flashed me a grin. I smiled back, and returned my attention to the blond woman. Things--other than Beetlejuice--from my previous life were still a little fuzzy.

She set the box down, grinned at me, and said "Hey, Lydibug!"

"Nightshade!" I gasped, and practically threw myself at her to give her a bear-hug.

"Whoa! Haha, hey there," she said, and dropped her fedora on my head.

I stepped back so I could look at her face. She was only a tad bit taller than me, but the hat made things a little more difficult. "How have you been? What about you and Derrick?"

"Um, I've been pretty good, I guess. Things with Derrick could be better, though," she said with a shrug.

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"He's datin' some bimbo. She ain't even pretty. Anyway," she looked over at Beetlejuice, "can we get this thing over with? I've got a Christmas party to crash."

Beetlejuice crossed his arms. "I never said ya had ta come."

"Oh, puh-_leeze_. If'n I didn't come, you wouldn't do this. Seein' as this is somethin' _nice_."

"Yeah, I know. Don't rub it in."

I glanced between the two. "What's going on?"

Beetlejuice rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, if I didn't do it now, it wasn't gonna get done. Soooo . . . Happy Christmas."

_Happy_ Christmas? Oh, right. They're british. "Sooo, what's in the box?"

"Gifts."

"Gifts?"

"That's what I said."

"B, you really suck at this, don't you?" Nightshade said, crossing her arms.

He glared at her. "Hey, I'm tryin' here!"

"Then open the damn box."

"What if I break somethin'," he replied, sarcastically.

"You already dropped it."

Beetlejuice rolled his eyes, and knelt down next to the box. He took of the lid, and threw it at Nightshade, who simply blocked it.

"I know where you sleep, my dear William," she said, slipping into her british accent.

"And I you, my dear Emily," he returned in his own.

"Alright, you two. No fighting in my living room." Sure, they were always saying they weren't siblings, but they definitely acted like it.

Beetlejuice reached into the box, pulled out a dark purple gift bag, and held it out to Delia. "This one's yours."

She hesitated before stepping forward and taking the bag. She glanced at me before she looked in inside.

"Paints?"

"Yup."

Uh-oh. "What do they do, Beej?"

"Oh, they'll make her paintings really come _alive_."

"You have got to be joking." That would be very bad.

Nightshade laughed. "Don't worry, we sapped 'em first. They're just awesome colors now."

"See, babes? We know what we're doin'."

I'd still have to warn Delia.

Beetlejuice reached into the box again, pulled out a smaller one, and held it out to my father.

Unlike Delia, he didn't hesitate, and I prayed to God it wasn't some prank that would give him a heart attack. I held my breath as he opened it.

Nothing happened.

"What is it?" he asked, looking in the box.

It was Nightshade who answered. "It's a figurine of one the birds from the Neitherworld." She sounded kind of nervous.

"It's . . . it's beautiful. Are they all like this?"

"Similar," Beej said.

He looked at the two blondes. "Thank you," he said smiling.

The poltergeists let out sighs of relief. "Good, we were a little worried about that one," Nightshade said.

Then, Beetlejuice stood up and looked at Nightshade. "You've got the other one."

"Oh, right!" She started looking through the pockets of her trench coat. "So, B and I called in a few favors . . . We're the hell'd I put it?"

"In yer hat."

"What?"

"Ya put it in yer hat, so ya wouldn't lose it in yer pockets."

Since I was still wearing her hat, I took it off, and tossed it to her. She reached in up to her shoulder, and pulled out a folder. Then she handed it to Adam.

"Like I was sayin', we called in a few favors. So, if you sign that contract, your parameters will be increased to encompass all of Winter River. It ain't much, but it's what we could get."

"We can leave the house?" Barbara asked.

"Yup," Nightshade replied, smiling.

Nightshade and Beetlejuice got a surprise when Barbara hugged them both.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Barbara said, smiling, and releasing them.

Nightshade grinned at her. "Not a problem, ma'am." Then she lightly pushed Beetlejuice. "Okay, okay, now give Lydibug hers."

"That's the real reason you stayed, ain't it?"

"Yeah, 'cause it's so _cu--_" Beetlejuice put his hand over her mouth, stopping her.

He glared at her for a moment before walking over to me. His face expressionless, he held his fist slightly above my head. When he opened his hand, a ring on a silver chain fell. A black band with a single blood red stone.

"You, uh, wanna try that marriage thing again?"

"Yes." There certainly wasn't any other answer to that question.

He smiled, an actual smile, and slipped the chain over my head. Then dark green sparkles floated down between us. We looked up, and I heard Beetlejuice growl.

Mistletoe. Where did that come from?

"Now ya gotta kiss her," I heard Nightshade say happily.

I should have guessed she was behind it.

Perhaps Beej was afraid of getting eaten by another sandworm, because he didn't move. So I grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulled him down, and kissed him.

* * *

**AN:** Do you feel all warm and fuzzy? _I DO!!_ I dunno, mistletoe just seems right up Beetlejuice's alley! Seein' as it's a parasitic organism . . . and it's poison. Yeah, ain't that romantic? One other note. Yes, I know the british spell things differently (ie "favor" is "favour"), but since it was from Lyds' POV, and they sound the same, I spelled everything the american way.


End file.
